Making the EU budget work for people and planet - citizens' recommendations for EU funds 2014-2020

In 2012, Bankwatch organised a series of contests among citizens in the region to propose sustainable project ideas. The main purpose was to demonstrate that citizens can actively participate in the process of the EU budget spending through grassroots initiatives and small-scale projects.

Several hundred project ideas in different fields ranging from community development to energy efficiency and waste management were collected and evaluated by national expert panels in the participating countries. On the basis of the proposals, the experts on the national panels were requested to draft their recommendations towards national and EU authorities for improved involvement citizens in the process of planning and programming of the next EU budget, and for the sustainable development of European regions.

This paper is a summary of all the expert panels' recommendations from the eight participating countries. It aims to contribute to a productive dialogue between citizens and institutions, an essential engagement needed during the current period of negotiations over the future EU budget.